Supplemental Benefits of Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Turmeric, and Resveratrol

Are you one of the many adults who take some type of dietary supplement every day? Supplements come in various forms. And different types offer different benefits. Today, you can get a supplement for almost everything your body needs from vitamins and minerals to amino acids and enzymes. While supplements can’t take the place of a well-balanced diet, studies do show that they can be beneficial to your overall health. Plus, they are great for when you can’t get everything you need from your diet. Consider the supplemental benefits of taking vitamin D, vitamin A, turmeric, and resveratrol. These four power-packed supplements have wonderful and surprising benefits for your health.

Vitamin D

Your body produces vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Due to office jobs and lifestyles that keep many people indoors, vitamin D deficiency is very common. If you’re deficient in vitamin D, you may feel tired, achy and unwell. You may also experience muscle pain and weakness, and be prone to stress fractures.

Building Better Bone Health

This vitamin plays a vital role in your bone’s health. Vitamin D regulates the absorption of calcium, which is essential for the normal growth of your bones and teeth. A lack of vitamin D often causes osteoporosis and osteomalacia (bone softening) in the elderly.

Concerns of the Elderly

Weakened bones, combined with an increase in falling, is often a cause of injury for elderly women. A recent study found that elderly women who took a vitamin D supplement and calcium for three months reduced their risk of falling by 49 percent compared to just taking calcium by itself. Since vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, bones and teeth get an extra boost of strength by combining these two supplements.

Immune System Health

Vitamin D also plays a huge role in your immune system’s health. As research into the vitamin continues, doctors uncover more and more health benefits. Not only has vitamin D been found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, but it also stimulates insulin production, reduces the chances of developing heart disease and regulates the immune system. One study found that exposing people with high blood pressure to UV rays stimulated vitamin D production and lowered their blood pressure to normal rates. Other studies determined that vitamin D played a role in reducing the development of colon polyps and multiple sclerosis.

Role in Mental Health

Vitamin D not only helps your physical health, but also your mental health. Studies have shown vitamin D to be effective in stabilizing moods, reducing anxiety and improving the symptoms of depression.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A comes in two forms, and it is an antioxidant. The active form of vitamin A is called retinoids, and this substance comes from animal products. Beta-carotene is the second form of vitamin A, and it typically comes from plants. A well-balanced diet should give you your recommended daily amount of vitamin A, especially if your diet is high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Vitamin A supplements are still being studied, and too high of a dose is potentially dangerous. Therefore, you should talk to your doctor before adding a vitamin A supplement to your diet.

Skin Care Benefits

Retinoids were first approved for treating acne in 1971. Since then, retinoids have proven effective in treating a number of skin conditions. Topical retinoids unclog pores and prevent them from becoming clogged by dead skin cells, thus reducing outbreaks of acne. Retinoids in pill form help balance oil production, reduce acne-causing bacteria and ease inflammation. Retinoids stimulate collagen production, which can reduce the visibility of wrinkles and help fade age spots. It also promotes the creation of new blood vessels in the skin, which helps boost nutrient delivery and gives skin a rosy glow for an overall improved complexion.

Vision and Vitamin A

Vitamin A protects the surface of the eye, making it essential for good vision. Vitamin A eye drops can help improve dry eye, and they may also help certain types of eye inflammation. Combined with other antioxidants, the beta-carotene type of vitamin A can decrease the risk of vision loss from macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.

Added Benefits of Vitamin A

Along with skin and eye health, vitamin A plays a role in maintaining a vibrant immune system. The vitamin also helps organs like the heart, lungs, and kidneys, among others, work properly.

Turmeric

You may be more familiar with turmeric as it relates to spices and curry, but it is also an incredibly effective nutritional supplement. While it has been used in India as both a spice and a medicinal herb, recent scientific studies are now backing up what the Indians have known for centuries. Research backs up the notion that turmeric does contain medicinal properties that can promote health and well-being.

Anti-Inflammatory

Inflammation is an important function that fights foreign pathogens and repairs damage, and it is beneficial when it is acute (short-term). However, chronic (long-term), low-level inflammation is believed to play a part in many diseases such as heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s, so reducing chronic inflammation is vital to your health. Turmeric contains an active ingredient called curcumin that fights inflammation at a molecular level. Curcumin is powerful enough to be as effective as some anti-inflammatory drugs, just without the side effects. By reducing inflammation, turmeric helps improve your overall health.

Turmeric and Antioxidants

Free radicals, from things like pollution and UV exposure, cause oxidative damage in our bodies. Oxidation speeds up aging and is behind many diseases. Antioxidants fight free radicals to reduce this damage, and turmeric is a potent antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and also enhances your body’s natural antioxidant enzymes. Turmeric essentially delivers a one-two punch to free radicals, making it incredibly effective in reducing oxidative damage.

A Secret to Glowing Skin

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric also make it a great addition to your skincare routine by clearing scars and reducing redness. It is also an antiseptic, which helps prevent breakouts.

Additional Health Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric is believed to help reduce the risk of a number of diseases and improve certain health factors. It may increase levels of a specific hormone that can delay or even reverse age-related decreases in brain function, including Alzheimer’s. Turmeric can improve the function of your blood vessels’ linings that help with regulating blood pressure, blood clotting and other factors related to heart disease. Along with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric can help reduce the risk of heart disease And turmeric was even found to reduce the spread of cancerous cells and inhibit the growth of tumors in some studies

Resveratrol

The research on resveratrol is ongoing, but it is believed to act as an antioxidant and offer protective benefits. Found in the skin of red grapes, peanuts, and berries, resveratrol also comes in supplement form. Early research has found resveratrol can help protect against a number of ailments.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory

As a powerful antioxidant, resveratrol protects your body’s cells from free radicals and oxidative damage. It also helps promote healthy inflammation while reducing chronic inflammation. Studies show that resveratrol may also promote healthy cell reproduction. When used topically as an antioxidant, resveratrol neutralizes free radical damage that prevents collagen and elastin from forming. This helps reduce wrinkles while making skin look and feel youthful and firm. As an anti-inflammatory, resveratrol is unique in the sense that it prevents your body from creating two different molecules responsible for triggering inflammation. It is also important as an antioxidant since it can cross the blood-brain barrier. This means that resveratrol can protect your brain and nervous system.

Heart Health

By reducing inflammation and oxidative damage, resveratrol already promotes heart health. It also is known to improve the elasticity of your blood vessels. Additionally, it has been found to reduce blood pressure and LDL, or bad, cholesterol. Improving cholesterol levels makes it more difficult for heart attack-inducing clots to form.

Resveratrol and Diabetes

Insulin resistance is a condition that causes the body to become desensitized to the hormone insulin, which lowers blood sugar. This condition often leads to diabetes. Resveratrol can help prevent insulin resistance, thus potentially preventing the development of diabetes.

More Health Benefits

Additionally, resveratrol is believed to activate a gene that protects the body against the effects of obesity and age-related diseases. Resveratrol is often called the “fountain of youth” for several reasons. First, it can help ward off many age-related diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Second, resveratrol increases the lifespan of human cells,

While a well-balanced diet can give you nearly all of the nutrients you need, sometimes you could use a little more oompf. Vitamin D, vitamin A, turmeric, and resveratrol all have a wide array of health and anti-aging benefits that can help you feel and look better. You might even live longer. These supplements are by no means a cure-all, but they are proven to reduce the risk of many diseases, and adding them to your diet can improve your overall well-being.

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